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It was a priority for rookie left tackle Trent Williams to participate in training camp as soon as possible, so Williams was pleased early Friday morning when his co-representatives reached a multiyear deal with the Redskins that enables him to get to work.

"It was very important to Trent so it was important to us," said Vincent Taylor, who represents Williams along with Ben Dogra. "It was very important to get it done and get him into camp, and that's what the plan is now. He's going to go there [to Redskins Park] this morning to sign and then get on the field."

The deal is worth $60 million over six years, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. More than $36.5 million of that is guaranteed.

Taylor credited the Redskins with helping Williams's team accomplish its goal of reaching an agreement early in camp, which opened Thursday afternoon at the complex. The Redskins practiced once Thursday and begin two-a-day practices this morning.

Specifically, Taylor credited Eric Schaffer, Washington's vice president of football administration, with "being great to work with. Eric helped make the whole process work well. It was clear that this was a priority for the Redskins, and everyone worked together to make it happen."

Taylor initially worked in conjunction with agent Eugene Parker. Although Williams switched to Dogra, he retained Taylor.

"Trent is going to be such a focal point of the offense, it's important for him to have as much time as possible to get ready for the season," Taylor said. "The Redskins are expecting a lot from Trent and he's expecting a lot for himself. When you have a player like Trent, and you know what he can accomplish and how much he wants to get out there, you just want to do everything you can on your part to help make it happen."

Williams, the fourth overall pick, was immediately listed atop the depth chart at left tackle. Coach Mike Shanahan was quickly impressed with the athleticism and footwork of the former University of Oklahoma standout.

Williams will be chiefly responsible for protecting quarterback Donovan McNabb's blind side. In an interview before the draft, Taylor dismissed criticism of Williams, whose work ethic was questioned by a member of the Sooners' staff. On Friday, he reiterated that Williams will show his determination. "Trent is focused and ready to work," Taylor said. "He's ready to show everyone what he can do."

And with Williams's contract done, the Redskins are expected to shift their focus to completing a long-term extension for McNabb.

Hess, it's short for Silverback Gorilla. Which I'm hoping he resembles when going mano y mano with DeMarcus Ware Week 1. I'm not sure who gave him the nickname or if he gave it to himself (which is lame), but I know that James Harrison of the Steelers had the nickname before he did (although I've never heard it catch on).

A silverback is an adult male gorilla, typically more than 12 years of age and named for the distinctive patch of silver hair on his back.
Here's to silverback knocking the silver off of Ware's helmet and making him see blue stars.

"The 'Silverback' thing came from teammates just joking around over the years. It kind of stuck with me," Williams said. "I'm always saying how I want to be a beast on the field and Silverback is a beast, so they just kind of gave me the nickname."

"But something felt depressingly the same in Ashburn on Thursday as Haynesworth slowly walked off the field. The spectacle of someone doing something wrong had returned.

Sherm Lewis had not exactly been plucked from a Bingo hall and made the offensive coordinator. But the circus was in full swing again, and is that really how they want to start things off with this new era?"

Hey Wise...that feeling that came over you was the feeling of discipline being brought to Washington. A guy who stepped outta line got his ass handed to him. It's really not that complicated. If anything in Ashburn felt like a circus it was because a clown writer like yourself was in attendance. Holla back when you have the surgery to remove your head from your ass...

How strong is a silver back gorilla?
In: Zoology or Animal Biology, Elements and Compounds
A:
Silverback gorillas are about 20 times stronger than humans. Although the precise strength of a silverback has never been recorded, this number is based off the size and amount of muscle tissue the gorilla has.

Have not seen anyone say that drafting him #1 was a mistake. Nothing since the draft has happened to make anyone regret the pick.

He was considered to be raw with a ton of upside so he may have some rough patches in his first year. That being said you don't draft a player based on how he is going to do the first year. Picks are not considered mistakes between the draft and their first training camp unless they fall down two flights of stairs and crack their head open.

"But something felt depressingly the same in Ashburn on Thursday as Haynesworth slowly walked off the field. The spectacle of someone doing something wrong had returned.

Sherm Lewis had not exactly been plucked from a Bingo hall and made the offensive coordinator. But the circus was in full swing again, and is that really how they want to start things off with this new era?"

Hey Wise...that feeling that came over you was the feeling of discipline being brought to Washington. A guy who stepped outta line got his ass handed to him. It's really not that complicated. If anything in Ashburn felt like a circus it was because a clown writer like yourself was in attendance. Holla back when you have the surgery to remove your head from your ass...

Posted by: brownwood26

I agree with Wise on this one. Discipline is one thing Public humiliation is another. Discipline is being fined for not attending the OTAs. Public Humiliation is petty bs by Shanny that is making this a distraction.

I am fairly certain that Jammal Brown did not attend the OTAs so why was he not out there running with AH? If it is really about whether or not the guy is in shape enough to participate Brown should be doing it as well.

I just can't believe Shanny is so petty that he would do something as dumb as this. Shanny had won in his teams' and the public's eyes when AH announced to the world that he was coming back and would play whatever position they wanted and would not be a distraction. Just stupid.

Actually, I'm awaiting confirmation that indeed Stephon Heyer was used as one of the "trash buckets". It would explain why he didn't line up with the first team at LT in lieu of Silverback...

Posted by: brownwood26 | July 30, 2010 7:06 AM
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I was wondering that myself. Makes me wonder if a) they have given up on him, or b) they are working him into a new position (like guard). Maybe they just wanted to get a good look at Robinson... I figured the guy was just training camp fodder.

Have not seen anyone say that drafting him #1 was a mistake. Nothing since the draft has happened to make anyone regret the pick.

He was considered to be raw with a ton of upside so he may have some rough patches in his first year. That being said you don't draft a player based on how he is going to do the first year. Picks are not considered mistakes between the draft and their first training camp unless they fall down two flights of stairs and crack their head open.

Posted by: srobert1117 | July 30, 2010 7:59 AM
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I am with you srob, I haven't seen anything yet that says he is anything other than what they drafted: an athletic offensive tackle with some skills that need to be honed and a frame that could have a little more muscle packed on. My theory is he will absolutely handle the Andre Ware's of the league. He might struggle with the bigger, stronger, bull rushing defensive ends but can't see him doing anything less than adequate in his first year.

red, ever catch the Nat Geo clip of the guy trying to introduce a baby gorilla into an already established group of gorilla's?? He gets charged by this HUGE silverback, and he doesn't even flinch....its pretty amazing...

srobert, I can't believe you even brought up Jammal Brown...can't hold a guy responsible for being at OTAs when he's not even on the team yet. Either way, the reason AH is running and no one else is is quite simple...he's the only who tried to make a fool of Shanahan. You cross the coach, you get made an example of. It's really not any more complicated than that.

Shanhan HAS to win this. Not for competitive reasons (though I'm sure it factors in), but because his credibility as a coach is at stake. I think he's playing this thing masterfully.

When did he show this? How? Where? He fits the zone blocking scheme Shanahan likes to run. How was it not smart to select him? Russell Okung will probably have the better year, but he lacks the athleticism that's needed in zone blocking. Even if a prospect is more polished there is no need to draft him if he doesn't fit the scheme.

Prospects that fall into those situations get labeled 'Busts' more quickly than guys who fit a scheme, have upside but for some reason just never pan out.

2) He lacks the basic skills to hit-the-ground-running (or blocking).

Again, can you provide examples of this? They haven't really done any o-linemen drills, at least none that were open to the media and public, so I really don't understand where you're getting all this from.

The Skids'll need a lot o' luck with this guy.

Everyone need "a lot o' luck" when it comes to draft picks. There are guys in every draft that look like a sure thing, and when they hit the field it's obvious they don't belong on an NFL field. There are also so lower round guys that go on to have HOF careers. You just don't know.

Posted by: perryneheum

Lets wait until Trent Williams completes ONE week of training camp before we declare him a bust. A little optimism along with your "a lot o' luck" never hurt nobody.

Posted by: BeantownGreg1 | July 30, 2010 8:18 AM
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I guess Shanahan sniffed out the whole "oxygen bottle hidden in the restroom" trick that Al tried yesterday. I am think Shanny is not done with him. One day is just not enough to make a point with Haynesworth. This one needs to be embroidered on his butt cheek: thou shalt not f_ with Coach Shanahan.

Rookie Salary cap anyone??? Something D..O..O..Economics........ Voodoo Economics. How can one justify 37 million dollars to a rookie when they won't even resign Chris Johnson (prolific running back) in Tennessee? I guess we aren't in that much of a recession after all. It is crazy but, GET THAT MONEY YOUNG MAN!!! If Synder gonna give it, then take it... ask Fat Albert.

srobert, I can't believe you even brought up Jammal Brown...can't hold a guy responsible for being at OTAs when he's not even on the team yet. Either way, the reason AH is running and no one else is is quite simple...he's the only who tried to make a fool of Shanahan. You cross the coach, you get made an example of. It's really not any more complicated than that.

Shanhan HAS to win this. Not for competitive reasons (though I'm sure it factors in), but because his credibility as a coach is at stake. I think he's playing this thing masterfully.

Posted by: brownwood26

His excuse for making AH do something no one else had to do was because he was not at OTAs and he did not know what kind of shape he was in and that it was for safety precautions. If that was the case Brown should have been doing it.

This is petty. He won when AH said he was going to show up and do what he was asked and not be a distraction.

It's petty and a distraction. It is also not motivating to AH or anyone else to be publicly humiliated. It is not going to make AH want to play hard for Shanahan.

AH did not try and show up Shanahan. He was unhappy about the coaching change and how he was going to be used. His contract and discussions were with Snyder and Cerrato. He accepted the 21million because he would have been stupid not to. He would have preferred a trade to a team running a 4-3 and held out of OTAs. When he did not get his away he conceded and was going to be a good soldier. Its not as if Shanahan was his coach last year and he tried to show him up in the off season. It's not discipline it is petty BS.

"srobert, I can't believe you even brought up Jammal Brown...can't hold a guy responsible for being at OTAs when he's not even on the team yet."

I think you're missing the point re: Jammal Brown. The justification given for making AH pass the test was that since he didn't participate in OTAs, the 'Skins want to make sure that he's in shape before they let him practice. Well, the same rationale should apply to Brown. I'm pretty sure that he didn't participate in the Saints' OTAs, and, as you point out, he wasn't on the roster during the 'Skins' off-season workouts.

The reason that Brown isn't being required to take the test is, of course, because the "make sure that he's fit" rationale is bogus. IMO, Shanahan is doing this for two reasons: to punish AH for missing OTAs and to send a message to the rest of the players that this will happen to you if you stay away from Redskins Park during the off-season. Shanahan can't come out and say this because under the CBA, OTAs are voluntary and teams can't punish players for not taking part in them. But there's no reason that we can't call this what it really is: a penalty for not taking part in OTAs.

Not sure where the negativity about Williams is coming from. Since we drafted him, I haven't read anything (other than a few posts from one Giants fan on another website I frequent...I just ignore him! lol) stating we made a mistake going with him. The kid has the talent and the will to get it done. He's gonna make some flubs, take a few hard knocks. All part of the learning process. I agree with RedDMV, let's see what happens during the 1st week of TC before we start lamenting about him.

Not sure where the negativity about Williams is coming from. Since we drafted him, I haven't read anything (other than a few posts from one Giants fan on another website I frequent...I just ignore him! lol) stating we made a mistake going with him. The kid has the talent and the will to get it done. He's gonna make some flubs, take a few hard knocks. All part of the learning process. I agree with RedDMV, let's see what happens during the 1st week of TC before we start lamenting about him.

HTTR!!!

Posted by: Southernbelle_aurora

I think the negativity is because the guy is getting 10mil a year and has not proven he can play at that caliber in the NFL. They really have to do something about the rookie wages.

If T wililams were to not pan out or get injured the contract would be crippling against the cap. It is why it is so hard for teams to trade back out of the top 5.

srobert1117 - I do agree with the OP's about Rookie wages. No one should be paid an obscene amount of money until they've proven themselves. A system could be installed that would contain sizable bonuses for performance, which could make a Rookie contract lucrative and light a fire under some of these guys.

But on the flip side of that coin, you can have a proven player who is handed a bucket load of cash, and something happens which causes that player not do be much of an impact or do much of anything (injury, attitude, age are just a few examples).

I concede your point, it's a valid one...but I still hold the right to reserve judgment on the kid and how he performs.

How'd that work out for Al Davis? Pat Bowlen? We'll see what Shanahan has left in him as a coach. Part Gibbs football mind for detail, part Schottenheimer in demeanor and discipline...maybe the Skins can give us an 8-8, or dare we think a 9-7?

Ridiculous, $10mil per year for ... what, exactly? It's a game, right?

Typical Snyder, doesn't trade down to add more bodies like the New England Pats.

Pats will be in the playoffs again while the Deadskins are an 'improved' 7-9.

Posted by: stev2008 | July 30, 2010 9:21 AM

hey stevie! How did shawn springs work out for the pats??? What about that playoff game against the ravens when ray rice torched them on the first play? i bet they could have used some first round talent then.